Leaving Las VegasAlthough it may have seemed like I was in Las Vegas all last week, I was actually safely ensconced in my own bed back home a week ago Wednesday evening.
Fortunately, I didn't suffer any altercations
this visit, but what's with all the lazy people on escalators and moving sidewalks, or for that matter all those using
scooters when they really don't need to? I was practically run over a couple times!
I'm someone who enjoys walking at a brisk, if not rigorous, pace. Seems like no matter where I turned, lethargic and hopelessly slow people were in my way. I practically had to slug my way through just to walk beyond a snail's pace.
But I digress.
I wanted to share the best top shows I've
ever seen in Las Vegas, and fortunately for those of you who may be traveling there, each of them is still playing for your maximum enjoyment and pleasure.
You should note that my short list does
not include any singing or stand-up acts or magicians.
Nor does my list include any Broadway shows, past or present. For the most part -- the surprisingly lackluster
Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular notwithstanding -- given Vegas' propensity for cutting shows down to 90 minutes or so, I'd rather spend my bucks to see the real deal on the Great White Way. (It should be noted here that
according to Variety,
Phantom and
Monty Python's Spamalot are bucking a
recent trend by doing great business along Vegas' strip.)
I'd much rather see shows I can't see anywhere else -- in other words, a true splashy, glitzy Vegas spectacle. And yes, with these shows being tantamount to a royal flush, I would agree with
San Jose Mercury News Karen D'Souza that in most cases, Sin City trumps the aces currently showing on Broadway (hat tip to
Man In Chair!).
So here's my top three:
1 - The Beatles Love - Love Theatre,
Mirage
**** (out of ****)In the excellent, mind-blowing
The Beatles Love, I found that all you need is love. Providing the ultimate in sensory overload, this wild ride transports to another time and place. As an exquisite showcase for the catalogue of
The Beatles, the Fab Four's classic tunes are brought to life in a most magical way by
Cirque du Soleil.
2 - O - "O" Theatre,
Bellagio
**** (out of ****)O,
Franco Dragone's revolutionary, jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring Cirque du Soleil spectacle was on my
personal top five list of all shows I saw during the 2000-01 Theatrical Season. With performers scampering across the stage one moment and high-divers plunging into the very same space the next, this show makes a theme park water ride seem dull and boring.
O is still playing at one of Vegas' most prestigious hotels.
3 - KÀ - The KÀ Theatre,
MGM Grand
Sure,
Wicked talks a good game about defying gravity, but with its continually evolving stage, the performers in this Asian-tinged spectacle called
KÀ really do. Yes, it's another Cirque du Soleil show, but it's the first to tell a story. When I say it revolves around a pair of twins as they face the opposing forces of good and evil, I mean that quite literally. While the storyline could be stronger,
KÀ remains awesome to behold.
Since three of Cirque du Soleil's five current Vegas shows reign supreme on my top three list -- and yes, I've seen
many other non-Cirque shows in Vegas, and no, don't bother seeing the other two -- it's worth noting that the
troupe is already working on an Elvis-themed show along the lines of
The Beatles Love that will make its debut at the all-new MGM Mirage
City Center in late 2009. The new spectacle will essentially recreate the experience of seeing The King perform. If any organization can pull it off, it's Cirque du Soleil.
Viva, Las Vegas, indeed.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for KÀ tickets.Click here for O tickets.Click here for The Beatles Love tickets.Related Stories:Mystère (The SOB Review) (September 13, 2007)
Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular (The SOB Review) (September 12, 2007)
The Beatles Love (The SOB Review) (September 11, 2007)
Becoming SOL (September 10, 2007)
Which British Hits Will Be Broadway-Bound? (September 20, 2006)
Critics: True Spectacle for the Senses and Beatles' Fans (July 1, 2006)
The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil Opens in Vegas Tonight (June 30, 2006)
Broadway's Gamble on Vegas No Sure Bet (June 6, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2000-01 (May 23, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Cirque du Soleil, Elvis Presley, KA, Las Vegas, Monty Python's Spamalot, O, Phantom The Las Vegas Spectacular, The Beatles
Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular (The SOB Review) - Phantom Theatre, The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV** (out of ****)The enduring wonders of
Andrew Lloyd Webber's
The Phantom Of The Opera have always eluded me. Actually, they've confounded me.
Apart from the fact that my sightlines were obstructed when I first saw the show nearly 20 years ago, not long after it initially bowed in London's West End, I found the entire proceedings to be a bit of snooze.
Holding out the possibility that jetlag may have gotten the better of me the first time around, I readily accepted a gratis ticket nine years ago on this side of the Atlantic to see it again. It wasn't any better. In fact, I found the plot ridiculous and forgettable.
But since I was going to be in Vegas, I thought how bad could it be to check out the relatively new, truncated 95-minute version of
Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular, which was once again directed by
Harold Prince.
Let's just put it this way: the third time was
not the charm.
When an ornate lighting fixture becomes the most exciting part of a spectacle, a show's in trouble. In this
Phantom, the celebrated chandelier takes center stage (actual center theatre in the specially-designed opera house) very early on through a whiz of special effects that lifts four separate pieces into place as if it were an object from outer space. During those first five minutes when
Paul Kelly's gorgeous scenic adaptation of the original work whirls together with
David Rockwell's breathtaking
theatre design and special effects, the denouement is dazzling to be sure.
But there's still a couple trifles like the score and book that leave me cold. And then there's the acting, which is entirely overwrought. Worst offender was Kristi Holden in the pivotal role of Christine Daaé; not only did she chew Kelly's considerable scenery, but her acting was so over the top that I kept thinking the chandelier would come crashing down at any second.
Fortunately for her and her fellow thespians, Broadway and West End veteran
Brent Barrett offered some degree of gravitas to the proceedings in the title role. Ryan Silverman also added to the production with his tender portrayal of Raoul.
While the edited tuner excised at least nine songs (by my count) from the original production, it certainly sped things along and reduced the number of times I had to look at my watch. However, the result is that Christine becomes something of an enigma in how she inexplicably vacillates between the Phantom and Raoul. It's as if we're missing a reel from a film that's been cut down to accommodate a distracted television audience.
Do I doubt for one minute that most
Phantom Of The Opera fans won't eat this all up? Of course not. Many probably won't even know the difference. In fact, they'll likely love all the special effects. But all the makings of a spectacle does not a spectacular make.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Becoming SOL (September 10, 2007)
Where's Oscar The Cat When We REALLY Need Him? (July 20, 2007)
London: The Show Must Go On (June 29, 2007)
Phantom Sequel: So Much For Writing On Otto-Pilot? (June 17, 2007)
Broadway's Longest Running Hits (March 17, 2007)
The Phantom Of Manhattan? (March 12, 2007)
Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) (February 21, 2007)
Broadway's Gamble on Vegas No Sure Bet (June 6, 2006)
Wicked Becomes Broadway's 8th Overall Cumulative Grosser Among Current Hits (June 2, 2006)
Labels: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Broadway, Las Vegas, London, Musical, Phantom The Las Vegas Spectacular, The Phantom Of The Opera, The SOB Review
Becoming SOLI've often said, "If I never go back to Las Vegas, it's too soon."
However, for me, it's best to never say never, especially since I do public relations in the travel industry where my fellow Americans have made this city the top domestic destination... by
choice.
Alas, Monday is my day of reckoning when I'll once again be traveling to Vegas for work, as opposed to play. I don't gamble, so I don't really have to worry much about my luck. That is, unless I get punched in the head like I did the last time I was there in a completely unprovoked attack directly outside one of the
Strip's top hotels.
Since most of my trip will be spent working, the fanciful idea of being a high roller won't be entertained. However, I do plan on
being entertained by taking in three of Vegas' top shows:
The Beatles Love,
Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular, and
Mystère. Soon thereafter, you can expect to get a full rundown of each show.
And lest I forget, expect to see two additional reviews in this space over the next week: the Off-Broadway world premiere of
100 Saints You Should Know and Disney's
The Little Mermaid during its second-to-last tryout performance in Denver.
This is Steve On Las Vegas, er, Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 100 Saints You Should Know, Broadway, Las Vegas, Love, Musical, Mystere, Off-Broadway, Phantom The Las Vegas Spectacular, Play, The Beatles, The Little Mermaid
